Transit VII

TRANSIT VII

RISK, CRISIS, INVENTION

28.05 / 09.06 2013

Odin Teatret, Holstebro,
Denmark

Some people say that the Chinese ideogram for 'crisis' is
composed of two signs: 'danger' and 'opportunity'. I am not
interested in discussing whether this is true or not, but in seeing
beyond the contradictory aspects of experiences that are generally
considered to be negative in order to find inspiration for
alternative ways of thinking and producing as women who work in
theatre. This is why I have linked the word crisis with risk and
invention, with an emphasis on the need to change.

Nowadays crisis is a frequently used word; often followed by
unemployment, bankruptcy, cuts and national debt. The word usually
refers to economic crisis, but also to a political and moral
crisis, a crisis of values and a loss of belief in the future.
Young people, angry and indignant, are born in an era that does not
seem to offer opportunities.

Crisis is also a common word in conversations about theatre. Not
only because of the difficulty of selling performances and earning
a living, but also because theatre is an artistic form that
requires physical presence and an interaction with a relatively
limited number of spectators, in an era that is increasingly
concerned with virtual and technological communication and where
numbers count more than individual human beings.

In the making of theatre, crisis, risk and invention are
essential steps in any creative process which demands rigour and
engagement. When struggling to make new work and overcome the
clichés of our experience, in search of potential and unexpected
directions, we all go through periods of crisis: questions, doubts,
feelings of powerlessness and even paralysis, which have to be
resolved in order to move on.

In my vocal work as an actress, problems and difficulties have
provoked the imperative creative stimulus to find personal
solutions. In my work as a director the moment when I believe the
performance will never function is always the turning point which
then reveals the hidden meaning of the work. Within The Magdalena
Project, refusing the status quo, hierarchies, male supremacy and
organisation has helped us find alternative horizontal networking
structures and artistic challenges. Overcoming a crisis, taking
risks and inventing are not only ways of remaining alive, but also
of rediscovering every day the meaning theatre work has for us. We
search for forms that satisfy our sense of rebellion and for ways
of passing on knowledge and experience that defy traditional
academic structures.

Various women and performances have been invited to the Transit
7 Festival in order to share their moments of crisis and the
strategies they use to overcome them. The performances, work
demonstrations, workshops and talks will give examples of how the
urgent need to react to the injustice that surrounds us is
transformed into a practice of assuming precarious positions and of
developing forms which express our revolt. Fighting isolation and
finding support in a network of women who make theatre in all
corners of the world is one way to do so. We will share techniques
and work methods in a landscape of theatrical gardens that allow
space for sequoias, willows and mushrooms alike, and allow us to
rediscover the desire to shape a possible future.